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Community liembers: Participants fett that the problem is the same, with some saying it is a <br />tittte bit worse. Their opinions were primarity based on observations of peopte camping and <br />people continuing to use services. There was discussion about it being a more visibte problem and <br />the loss ofjobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and increased costs being contributing factors. <br />. "l hear about peopte camped along the river in different places...lt's possibte there are <br />more of them.". "lt may be becoming more visibte; there may be fewer peopte couch surfing and more <br />camping by the river.". "People lost jobs in the pandemic five years ago. Huge increases in food and utitity prices <br />have forced peopte into homelessness. And losing their jobs, obviousty.,' <br />Central Washington University: Al[ participants fett the hometessness probtem has gotten worse, <br />but atso recognized that it is more visible as wet[. There was discussion about potice involvement <br />in getting people who are hometess out of the community and the overa[l increase in poverty. <br />. "Maybe they are more visible, or maybe they're not being kicked out as fast."o "...it's a matter of the police activety keeping this probtem away from pubtic eye in a way <br />that is dehumanizing.". "There was a time when you woutdn't see much of it, but now for whatever reason there <br />are individuats asking for assistance at Fred Meyer, corners, streets, and stuff.". "Poverty in general is increasing, not just homelessness-everything is getting more <br />expensive, wages aren't going up, process, inflation. lt's harder for peopte to suryive.". "Everything is expensive. People are actually ctose to hometessness even if they have <br />stabte emptoyment and housing." <br />Question 2: ln a community survey, behavioral heatth services and job <br />training and emptoyment services were listed as priorities for individuats <br />experiencing homelessness. Does this resonate with you? Are these <br />priorities? Why or why not? <br />People with Lived Experience: Generalty, participants agreed that these are common priorities. <br />Some mentioned currentty being in treatment for either substance use disorder or menta[ heatth <br />needs and the positive impact it has had on their situations. There was discussion about the need <br />to give peopte a chance regardless of their behavioral health issues and reduce stigma. There was <br />concern about not being abte to access services if they are activety using. <br />. "With the income I'm receiving now and the mental heatth we're receiving, our scenario <br />has improved significantty. Those were the two big focuses: mental heatth and job <br />training. " <br />. "...as long as addicts have a chance.... A lot of addicts are scared to ask for hetp to find <br />housing....lf peopte coutd just let go of what we think we know about addicts to giving <br />them a chance if they ask for hetp." <br />. "l don't know if we would have been carried through the system if the restrictions had <br />been higher. We probabty woutd have gone back to the care and started camping again. " <br />Service Providers: Participants fett that yes, these are priorities, but housing and basic needs <br />must be addressed first. One participant indicated from personal experience that emptoyment <br />6